


Infinite Possible Ways (To Love You)

by josywbu



Series: Infinite Possible Ways (To Love You) [1]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Genre: Awesome James "Rhodey" Rhodes, Best Friend Rhodey, Irondad, James "Rhodey" Rhodes & Tony Stark Friendship, Parent Tony Stark, Precious Peter Parker, Self-Indulgent, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Has A Heart, and mostly random little snippets, honestly this is going to be mostly fluff, it's probably cavity inducing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-08
Updated: 2019-01-31
Packaged: 2019-07-08 15:02:13
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 11,399
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15932840
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/josywbu/pseuds/josywbu
Summary: A series of unrelated One-Shots and drabbles about the father and son relationship of Tony and Peter.Title from Have It All by Jason Mraz





	1. Q T π

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lieselfh](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lieselfh/gifts).



> Tony's daughter Morgan is miserable with her new glasses. Thankfully her dad and her big brother know exactly how to cheer her up.
> 
> Find [more IronDad art](https://weartirondad.tumblr.com/) on tumblr.

The minute Tony stepped through the doors of the elevator a piercing scream hit his unsuspecting eardrums and his hands immediately reached to cover his ears even as his mind matched a meaning to the sound. His hands changed path and instead went to the watch on his wrist, activating a gauntlet that covered his right hand in the blink of an eye.

“Pep?”, he called out cautiously, raising his armed arm when he turned the corner to the living space. He could’ve cried in relief when his wife replied even if the high-pitched screaming continued.

“We’re alright.” A pause and then more soothingly, “Shh, baby. It’s alright. Daddy’s here now. You wanna say hi to daddy?”

The nanites retreated into his watch before they could scare his daughter and once the big brown eyes found him, she reached out her arms, calling for him.

“Hey baby”, he greeted her with a tender kiss to the forehead. He settled her on his right hip and gently bounced her as she sniveled into his neck, small arms holding on to him tightly. “What’s wrong?”, he asked her. She simply shook her head and pressed closer into him.

Hadn’t Pepper watched them calmly, albeit looking exhausted, he wouldn’t have been able to stop the anxiety slowly rising in his chest. Knowing that she wouldn’t be this calm if there was an actual threat, he tried to calm his beating heart and sat down next to his wife who brushed his lips in a quick kiss before dropping a long kiss to their daughter’s head.

“What’s wrong?”, he whispered, never stopping his slight swaying while his hand kept drawing soothing circles into Morgan’s red hair. Her pigtails were a mess and when she leaned back a little bit to rub her eyes with her hands, Tony could see her tear-rimmed eyes and tear-stained chubby cheeks. Her lip was still trembling but she held on to her mum’s hand tightly when she reached out for her.

She squirmed until Tony let go of her and sat her down on his lap, where she curled up into his chest immediately.

“I don’t wanna be ugly, daddy”, she whispered, pressing Pepper’s index and middle finger to her eyes to stop the tears that were still evident in her voice, even though Tony couldn’t see her face.

Whatever he had expected, it hadn’t been this.

From the very first moment they had laid eyes on her, they had known she was the most beautiful being in the universe and they had made sure to tell her so every single day. She had never questioned it, had never even been shy when all her various aunt and uncles had gushed about her or when Peter kept telling her that he would never find someone as beautiful as her when she asked him about a girlfriend. He couldn’t fathom what had triggered this but he swore, if it was something someone had said, than he was going to kill that person dead. No one would ever get away with hurting his daughter.

“You’re not ugly, baby”, he told her, turning her in his lap so he would be able to see her better but she refused to look up at him. Putting his index finger under her chin, he tipped her head up slightly until her glassy eyes met his. “You’re the most beautiful girl in the world, remember?”

“I was the most beautiful girl”, she told him, her lower lip stuck out and trembling. “But I’m never gonna be beautiful again.” At that she shut her eyes tightly and turned into Tony’s palm who caressed her cheek gently. “No pretty girl wears glasses.”

Glasses?

Over Morgan’s head his eyes met Pepper’s who nodded with a small sigh. “We went to the doctor today because Morgan had a headache when I picked her up from daycare and Mrs. Hudson told me she kept squinting at things. She’s hyperopic and trying to accommodate her eyes all the time ended up hurting her head. She’s gonna have to wear glasses for the foreseeable future.”

He felt hot tears dripping down his right hand and moved his left hand to brush a few loose strands of her fringe back from her sweaty forehead.

“You’re never ever gonna be ugly”, he whispered, pressing a kiss to the tip of her nose. “You are wonderful.” A kiss to her cheek. “You are beautiful.” A kiss to her other cheek. “And mommy and daddy love you so so much.” One last kiss to her forehead.

A giggle slipped past her lips and she scrunched up her nose when his goatee tickled her skin and although it still sounded wet, it was a lot better than the heart-wrenching cries he came home to. “And Petey?”

“And Petey, too”, he smiled widely. “Do you want to know a secret?”

Her little head wobbled up and down, her still glassy eyes wide with excitement at the prospect of hearing one of dad’s secrets.

“Daddy used to wear glasses all the time when he went outside”, Tony told her in a conspiratorial whisper. It was surreal that this little ray of sunshine didn’t know about the Tony Stark façade that he used to put up for everyone outside his comfort zone. While he still did that. While the world still didn’t really know the real him – and he’d rather keep it that way – he had stopped trying to hide so much ever since she had come into their lives. He wanted, needed, to be a better man for his daughter.

“They were really cool.”

“Really, daddy? Why’d you stop?”, she asked, frowning up at him. Her little fingers were still curled around Pepper’s and she alternated her questioning looks between her parents. “Did your head get better?”

He grinned, leaning back into the couch and dropping an arm lazily over the backrest, right behind Pepper. “I didn’t need the glasses”, he told her, “I just wanted to wear them because I liked them.” And because his eyes had always been too telling, a too direct link to his heart, in this cruel world.

Tony felt Pepper press a kiss to his shoulder when she leaned into his side, wiggling her fingers in Morgan’s grasp, and he felt a wave of gratitude rush through his body at having this wonderful family when he had never believed something like that could ever be in the cards for him.

His little girl didn’t seem to be convinced, though, because she simply scrunched up her nose – something he was about eighty percent sure she had picked up from her big brother – and cocked her head to one side, trying to figure it out. “No one wears glasses just because they’re cool. No one likes glasses”, she told him matter-of-factly.

“F.R.I.D.A.Y.? Pull up some of my greatest glasses-wearing hits up, please.”

Thankfully he had baby-proofed the AI’s settings before Morgan had ever met the bodiless voice and thus only the socially acceptable pictures started playing on the TV screen in front of them.

While Morgan, who had climbed into Pepper’s lap to get a better look, watched the pictures, talking about them a mile a minute, he leaned back in content and watched her. The only evidence of her tears were her clotty lashes and the reddened skin around her eyes where she had rubbed them with her hands. But her eyes were shining with the childish joy and excitement that he had grown used to and every once in a while she let out a giggle at one of the pictures.

“Oh wow, those are ancient!”

All three of them turned around when they heard Peter’s voice and immediately Morgan jumped down from her mum’s lap and scurried over to the older boy, reaching up at him until he picked her up and she could wrap her arms around his neck.

“Petey!”, she exclaimed excitedly into his neck, before turning halfway to the TV screen, “Daddy used to wear glasses!”, she told him, her forehead crinkling in a frown, “Did you know that? He says glasses can be cool. Do you like glasses?”

Peter pressed a kiss to her temple and started walking over to the sitting area. “Hello to you, too, Mo”, he smiled down at her, “I think Dad’s glasses are pretty cool. Why? Don’t you like glasses?”

When Morgan didn’t answer for a while and returned to watching the pictures again, still with one arm wrapped around his neck, Peter turned his questioning look to Tony and Pepper.

“Morgan is going to have to wear glasses from now on and she’s scared they’ll make her ugly”, the latter replied with a sigh and then a small smile, “I’m happy you’ll be here over the weekend. Maybe hanging out with her big brother will take her mind off of it a little.”

They stayed like that for a while. Tony pulled Peter into a side hug to the best of his abilities with Morgan still clinging to the kid and started carding his hand through the slightly longer than usual curls, watching in amusement when Peter started doing similar motions on the base of his daughter’s neck.  The kid told them about college and how much he enjoyed bunking with Ned but how glad he was to be home every other weekend. He usually alternated his home visits between staying with Tony and staying with May, though usually all of them ended up at the tower for sleepovers and family movie nights anyway.

The slide show continued – even Tony was surprised how many different pictures there were of him in glasses – and Morgan relaxed again after a while, trying to get all of her brother’s attention by telling him every little detail of her day and about the cool colorful glasses that were so much better than the boring ones she had to wear.

“How about we go out for ice cream!”, Tony suddenly interrupted them, an idea forming in his head as he watched their kids cuddled up on the couch. “We could make it a family trip and we’re all going to be wearing cool colorful glasses!”

Pepper grinned at him with a little shake of her head but Morgan had perked up at the mention of colorful glasses. “You’re gonna wear glasses, too, Daddy?”, she asked, staring at him wide-eyed over Peter’s shoulder.

“Of course I’m going to wear my cool glasses”, he told her, leaning forward to brush a few loose strands behind her ear, “And we can color your glasses, too, if you want.”

“Really?”, she bounced up and down on Peter’s lap in excitement, “Are mommy and Petey gonna wear glasses, too?”

“Of course! Everyone’s getting cool glasses!”

And so it was settled.

Tony started getting to work on coloring one pair of glasses Pepper and Morgan had already bought while Peter was charged with dressing both himself and his sister into an outfit cool enough to match their hip glasses (although Peter kept telling him that no cool person would ever call themselves hip).

It didn’t take much more than twenty minutes before both kids came rushing into his lab, laughing so hard they were both panting. Morgan jumped up on the couch and didn’t even wait for her dad to show her the upgraded glasses before shoving a dark blue t-shirt into his chest.

“We picked something out for you, too”, she told him, her cheeks flushed from their sprint and chubby with the big smile she was still wearing.

The billionaire merely raised a questioning eyebrow at Peter who had plopped down next to the girl and matched her grin as he shrugged innocently. They were both clad in dark blue hoodie jackets that were closed in the front but they sat there with their hands on the zipper as if they were about to reveal the next Eiffel tower. 

Only when he unfolded the shirt and stared down at the huge capital T at the front of it, did they undo their hoodies, grinning at him so smugly that he needed a minute to put together a logical explanation for Morgan to be wearing a pink ‘Q’ and Peter to be rocking the dark grey Pi symbol on his chest.

“Really?”, he asked them exasperated, though he couldn’t help but chuckle at how happy they looked just then.

“Yup”, Peter grinned, proudly pointing at Morgan, “It was Mo’s idea and we originally wanted to give it to you for Father’s Day but we thought it’d be really hip if we could twin. Complete with glasses and all.”

Tony shook his head even as he stepped forward to encircle both kids into a big hug.

If someone would’ve told him some twenty years ago that he would end up having a family with two kids, who made him wear part of a pun on his chest in public, he would’ve rolled his eyes so hard they would’ve been permanently stuck.

Now though?

Now he felt his chest swell with pride and love for both kids as they stood in the living room, all wearing their t-shirts and glasses to match. Peter and Morgan had left their hoodie jackets hanging open while he had opted for a dark blue blazer instead.

Tony held Morgan on his right hip, his little girl leaning her head against his shoulder as she smiled brightly, eyes shining behind her green tinted glasses. His other arm he had slung loosely around Peter’s waist, while the boy grinned down happily at his sister, eyes covered by a pair of yellow tinted sunglasses from Tony’s collection.

“Okay, guys. Smile!”, Pepper called out and he pulled both kids just a little bit closer, keeping his once trademark stern look for the camera for a total of ten seconds before he burst out laughing at Morgan and Peter trying to outdo each other pulling faces.

In that moment he wanted to tell everyone who had ever said otherwise, that it was possible to fit your whole world into your hands because as long as he could hold his family in his arms, there was nothing more he could ever wish for.

“So, anyone wants ice cream?”, he asked and almost dropped Morgan who tried to leap forward with an excited squeal. “I’ll take that as a yes.”


	2. Suiting Up For Parenthood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony tells Rhodey about his kid.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No direct Peter and Tony interaction but best friend and uncle Rhodey is life and he needs to be in here. ´  
> Spoiler Warning for Star Wars: The Force Awakens, so proceed with caution if you haven't watched it (but honestly, it's been three years).  
> Feedback is appreciated! Enjoy x

“Hey Tones, Happy told me to remind you of that thing tonight. You’re supposed to attend with Pepper and he says if you don’t show up she’s gonna have his-“, Rhodey stops mid-sentence, gaping at his best friend all splayed out on the huge couch, engrossed in several books all at once.

Actual books. On paper.

He opens and closes his mouth a few times, still rooted to the spot, until the man in question finally looks up and raises a questioning eyebrow above his reading glasses.  _Reading glasses?_  

Rhodey’s sure he misses something. Some big life-altering information that has the world hanging in the balance and that can only be cured with an ancient magic spell that can’t be found online. That has to be the only explanation for Tony Stark to actually open a book again for the first time since - what, college? 

“You’re reading”, he offers lamely after another minute of contemplating his racing thoughts and trying to figure out what the hell was going on. 

Tony grins, looking slightly concerned for his friend even as he quips, “Wow, Colonel Rhodes, after this whole superhero business you should really think about opening an investigation firm. The potential is there.” 

 That was familiar and it was enough to break Rhodey out of his trance and make him roll his eyes in exasperation. “I haven’t seen you hold an actual book in your hands since our MIT days”, he tells him while making his way over to the couch and plopping down on the part that Tony clears for him, “And even then I’ve had to listen to you complain about- wait”, he interrupts himself again when his eyes skim over the titles of the books right next to him, “Are those  _parenting_  books?” 

 And is Tony looking sheepish? That man doesn’t do sheepish. Hell, he barely ever does insecure and he is never ever so open about it. 

 “Maybe”, the ten year old that seems to have taken over his best friends body mutters to himself, shuffling with the books awkwardly and pulling at his long sleeves before looking back up to meet Rhodey’s gaze who simply cocks an eyebrow and waits for him to crack. 

He might act weird every once in a while but this guy is still the one Rhodey knows like the back of his hand and it looks like there’s something on his mind that he needs to get out but doesn’t know how to phrase. 

 “Pepper and I might have talked about it?”, it sounds more like a question and Rhodey tries his best to keep himself from interrupting because he knows it takes Tony a while to spit out whatever is bothering him. 

“Uh, well”, he rubs the back of his neck now with his right hand while clenching his left hand, a nervous habit he’s had ever since Rhodey has known him, “I might’ve done the talking and she might’ve done the arguing but, well, the topic has been touched, I guess. And it got me thinking...”, he trails off, looking over the mountain of books surrounding both of them with a sigh. 

“You’re wondering if you could be a good dad”, Rhodey finishes softly when Tony doesn’t seem to be able to find the words, “So you’re doing what you always do, you try to become a master of a new field overnight but you don’t want to prove Pepper right so instead of just asking F.R.I.D.A.Y. to do the research for you, you try it the old- fashioned way.” 

 “Is it that obvious?”, Tony asks, slumping in on himself so fast and so completely that Rhodey almost pulls his shoulder reaching out for his friend. 

“Only because I’ve known you for most of your life, Tones”, he replies with a shrug and a smile, “I know you better than anyone. And I know you’d be a great dad.” 

 Tony seems to perk up at that instantly and starts rambling, “You think? Even with all the daddy issues and, you know, all the other issues? There are so many things to consider, so many ways to fuck up as a parent and I, I really just don’t want to disappoint anyone... especially not someone who’s so small and impressionable and smart and who looks up to me. I mean, he thinks I hang the moon in the sky every single night and, I’m me, how can I even get close to measuring up to the trust he has in me.” 

 

Rhodey tries to keep up, he really does, but somewhere he seems to have lost his friend’s train of thoughts and while that isn’t a new feeling per se, it feels like he’s either missing something monumental right now or Tony messes up his tenses (Which he never does. He always knows what he’s talking about even when no one else does.) 

But Tony is still talking and usually interrupting him in the middle of one of his rants means he won’t start again, so Rhodey starts looking for clues in the books around him and stops. 

 “Tony”, he interrupts now gently but firmly, picking up the book he has been reading before Rhodey entered, “Why does this center around teenagers dealing with loss and anxiety attacks?”, he wants to know slightly concerned, “You know the whole baby planning really shouldn’t start with figuring out how you’ll deal with them once they’re messed up. You’re supposed to prevent them from getting messed up too much in the first place.” 

“I know, Rhodey, I know that”, he gives back suddenly sounding exhausted, “But I mean what if, purely hypothetically speaking of course, I didn’t get the chance to do that and that kid is already messed up... then I should know how to deal with them, right? There has to be a way to help them. There has to be a way to fix this.” 

 “Why would you not be-“, Rhodey starts before understanding dawns on him, “This is not about you and Pepper having a kid, is it? This is about some other kid, a teenager. Oh god, Tony, do you have a child?” 

 “What? No!”, at least that feels shocked and honest enough that Rhodey believes him but it doesn’t explain anything, really. 

“No”, Tony says, clenching and unclenching his left hand again and absentmindedly rubbing his right hand over his knee, “I’ve - no. I don’t have a kid. But uh - I might have a kid.” 

 “You’ve lost me”, Rhodey tells him deadpanned. 

 “Figures”, Tony sighs, “Do you remember Spiderman? From Germany?”

 “Spiderman is a kid?!” 

 “Yes, but-“, he puts up a hand as if he knows exactly what Rhodey has to say about that, “Can we please not do the yelling right now? I’ll explain it to you, everything, including the fact that he was running around in his PJs before I found him and that he wouldn’t stop going out even if I told him to. Especially if I told him not to.” 

 “You see, I might’ve started mentoring him”, he finally says and it feels like this is huge for him, like it’s a burden falling from his shoulders and he continues with a little smile on his lips, “It was about Spiderman at first, about keeping him safe and training him but Peter- Peter’s so smart and he’s such a good kid. He’s nerdy and geeky and he laughs too loud when we’re watching a movie and he cries every time Kylo Ren kills Han Solo and he’s so- pure.” 

 “I never meant for this to happen”, he adds after a moment of stunned silence, “I never meant for him to become so attached to me and I never wanted to become so attached to him because-“, he looks up then, unhappy and conflicted and scared, “You know me, I break everything I touch and I can’t- I  _can’t_  break him, too. I need to protect him from myself and I can’t leave him, that kid had enough people leave him already so I have to try to be better for him, right? I mean that’s the only way to go?” 

 Rhodey stares for a little while longer, unable to comprehend everything he’s learned in the last few seconds. He’s gotten used to a lot of Tony’s antics over the years, so much so that he barely even blinks when something new comes up, but this- This is new and raw and he can’t really put his finger in it but it feels right, as if all of Tony’s life has been the way it has so he would get to this moment and meet this kid. 

 Talk about character development. This is a freaking love story, just not the traditional romantic kind but the parental kind. 

 Tony Stark and parental. He’d always known those two words would go good together and he’d always known that Tony would protest any thoughts like that loudly but now this was exactly what he needs to hear. 

 “I think you’re going to be alright”, he tells him then because he honest to god believes it, “You obviously care for him and Peter doesn’t sound like someone who’d stick around just for the financial benefits so he seems to like you, too.”

 “Kid doesn’t know any better.” 

 “But you said he’s smart, right?”, Rhodey grins, “I’m sure he’s made his mind up and if anyone’s gonna get a kid to talk it’s gonna be you after having read everything there is to read about teenage angst.” 

 He reaches out to pat Tony on the back, letting his hand linger because his best friend only stares at him in disbelief, frozen in place so that he forgets all about his nervous ticks and leans into him a little shakily.

 “You really think that?”, he wants to know quietly, voice so soft that Rhodey would’ve missed it if he hadn’t spoken directly into his ear.

 “Yes, Tones”, he replies with certainty and another pat on his back, “You’re gonna be a great dad. Now, when do I get to meet the little rascal?” 

 Tony laughs, “You know, he would totally protest you calling him that and let me tell you, he’s adorable when he gets all flustered. He’s actually coming over the day after tomorrow to work on his physics project so if you want to hang around that long you’re welcome to join..”

 And just like that, Tony doesn’t seem to be carrying the whole world on his shoulders anymore and Rhodey watches him going on and on about Peter and his school and his decathlon team. Peter’s favorite food, Peter’s crush. Peter’s guy in the chair (He doesn’t ask). Peter’s this and Peter’s that. 

 He really can’t wait to meet the boy who finally made his best friend a dad, and a good one at that. 


	3. Come Home To Us

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony's on a mission and Pepper and Peter try to make do with his t-shirts and each other's company until he finally comes back home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun Fact: Most of these things I've written in a WhatsApp chat with my best friend. (I did edit them afterwards on an actual computer.)   
> Also, your comments for these drabbles have been amazing, thank you so much!   
> Feedback is appreciated. Enjoy x

When Pepper steps into their bedroom she quickly ponders whether to summon one of the Iron suits from downstairs, call for F.R.I.D.A.Y. or press the panic button that her husband insisted she wears, that’s how startled she is by the fact that there’s someone in their bed. 

To be fair, Tony has been out on a mission for a little over a week and no one else is supposed to be in the penthouse, let alone their bedroom. 

The intruder shifts, quickly becoming aware of her presence, and as soon as she sees the curls standing up to either side of a sleepy, apologetic face, she relaxes and walks over to where Peter is currently trying to scramble out from under the blanket and out of the bed, all the while apologizing without taking a breath. 

“Peter, wait”, she stops him when he’s about to jump up and run away, holding onto his wrist gently but firmly, “Why aren’t you with May? Are you hurt?” 

“N-no”, he answers, head hanging low as he avoids meeting her eyes. “I’m okay. And don’t worry about May, I told her I’m sleeping over tonight.”

Pepper frowns, hand moving to Peter’s chin, tipping it upwards with her index finger. “But no one was supposed to be here tonight.” 

She wants to ask him why he wants to stay over in a huge yet empty building but when she looks at him now, really looks at him, she doesn’t have to. 

He’s wearing one of Tony’s favorite Black Sabbath t-shirt. It hangs loosely to his chest and almost swallows him up, making him look that much smaller. He has been curled up on Tony’s side of the bed, too, with his cell phone right next to him as if he has been waiting for a call to wake him up. 

Without saying another word she pulls his head to her chest, rubbing slow circles on his neck, glad when he leans into her and starts to relax in her arms. For a while they just sit like this, both taking comfort in the other’s proximity because Pepper understands him. She knows exactly what thoughts are running through his mind and how worried he is and how nothing anyone can say could ever make it feel better. 

“I’m scared, too”, she whispers into his curls finally and then continues with the words people -  _Tony_  - have been telling her, hoping they would not only reassure the teenager clinging to her but also her own racing thoughts. “It’s going to be okay. He’s going to come back home. Tony’s fine.” 

It’s like a mantra for both of them. 

She only pulls away when she feels him slipping back to sleep, startling him with the movement. 

Immediately he sits up straighter but before he can apologize again and tell her he’s going to his room as he undoubtedly has planned to, she cuts him off with a quick wave of her hand and a small smile.

“I’m going to get changed. You can stay here if you want. I know the sheets smell like him. And I’d feel better if I didn’t have to be alone.” 

Peter nods and, reluctantly at first, climbs back under the sheets but as soon as his head hits Tony’s pillow, he curls around it more firmly, closing his eyes and relaxing at the scent.

When Pepper comes back from the bathroom he’s already fast asleep and she climbs in on the other side of the bed, pressing a kiss to the side of his head, before drifting off to sleep as well. 

 

It’s another three days until Tony comes back home and Peter has been staying at the penthouse, ever since that night Pepper has found him, with Pepper and Happy, feeling just a little bit less worried and alone when he is around people who care about his mentor as much as he does. 

The mission has gone on far longer than anyone expected and the billionaire is so glad to finally go home that he hasn’t thought to call ahead. 

Pepper is supposed to be in Florida for the next week anyway, so he’s surprised when he finds her things in the living room standing right next to a backpack that looks suspiciously like it belongs to a certain Spiderkid. 

He checks Peter’s room on the way to his bedroom, frowning when he finds it empty and the bed made. Quickly he wonders whether he should start worrying or if the kid has just forgotten his backpack here before Tony left. 

 _Two weeks without his backpack?_ No, that doesn’t seem right. 

He’s pulling out his phone with one hand, already trying to phrase a text message to shoot the kid, while walking into his and Pepper’s room and stops mid motion. 

There lay his wife and his kid, both curled around his pillow, both in one of his t-shirts and he can’t help but smile at the image. There’s a warmth in his chest that makes him forget just how cold his bed has been the last two weeks and how much the mission has sucked. 

Without a second thought he slips into the bed behind Peter - it’s his side of the bed after all - and quickly brushes the teenager’s hair before dropping a kiss to the top of his head and pulling him into his chest, close enough so that his other hand can reach Pepper whose eyes have fluttered open at the shift and brushes his knuckles over her cheek. 

“Hey”, he whispers, grinning widely when Peter mumbles his name in his sleep and turns away from the pillow he has been hugging and instead goes to bury his head in Tony’s chest. He simply runs his hand through his curls and adjusts his position before focusing back on Pepper. 

“You okay?”

“Better now”, she replies with a soft smile, leaning forward to press a kiss to his cheek and moving in closer to both men, closing her eyes in content as she feels Tony’s fingers slowly starting to massage her scalp. 

That’s how they fall asleep and Tony can’t name a single moment in his life when he has been happier because this is everything he has ever dreamt of. 

Just him and his family. 


	4. My Superhero Wear

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter is looking for a superhero costume. Tony is confused at first and then gets to tinkering on a Batmobile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Batman used to be my favorite superhero before I got introduced to Ironman. Guess I like the rich guys with fancy tech, ha! Thank you so much for your feedback! Enjoy this x

“Hey kid, what are you up to?”, Tony asked upon seeing Peter already curled up on the couch in his workshop with his laptop on his lap, eyebrows furrowed in concentration.

The teenager barely glanced up when he took the apple juice his mentor handed him and that intrigued Tony because - slowly fading hero worship or not - Peter always greeted him with a smile so big and wonderful it made him wonder how something so innocent had found a place in this cruel world. 

He let himself plop down next to the kid and leaned back with his arm stretched out on the back rest behind him, peaking over Peter’s shoulder. 

“I’m just looking for a costume for our last week of high school. We’re doing a motto week”, he explained, finally looking at Tony with a frown on his face as he took a sip from his juice before setting the glass back down on the table next to the couch. 

“And you want to go as a vampire?”, Tony asked in amusement, letting his eyes skim through the Amazon search he had open. “What kind of motto is that? Because if it’s horror then you are not allowed to go as a vampire, there are so many better costumes than-“ 

“No”, Peter laughed, “It’s not horror and I’m not going as a vampire. I’m just looking for a Batman cloak for the superhero motto.” 

“You’re-“, he paused, trying to make sense of what the kid had just said and failing spectacularly. After closing his mouth a few times without actually forming words he settled on a lame, “What?” 

“Batman?”, the teenager was watching him a little worriedly, “You know, that guy from the DC comics that protects Gotham?” 

“I know who Batman is”, Tony shot back with an eye roll, “The question is why on earth would you even consider going as Batman? You’re literally a superhero yourself. You know tons of real superheroes.” 

Peter grimaced at that, “Well, I think going to school dressed up as Spiderman would be a little too on the nose, don’t you think?”, he shrugged, “Besides, I like the Batman comics. You know he’s literally just a guy with fancy tech who decides to save the world just because he can. He’s not some alien or god with super powers. He’s just a man and he’s been through a lot and he’s still a hero.” 

“Right. Orphaned, rich, depending on his Butler to get him through the day, fancy tech, good looks, sort of a playboy, kind of a douche”, Tony trailed off, eyebrow raised in mock surprise, “I know who you could dress up as!” 

“You’re not a douche”, Peter gave back simply, ignoring the rest of the statement and leaning against his mentor’s side, “And you’re way way cooler than Batman anyway. Even without Ironman. I mean he needs people to design his tech for him. Also, I don’t think he’d be a very good dad”, he added as an afterthought, glancing up at Tony through his lashes. 

“Oh and I am?”, the billionaire wanted to know with a big grin, ruffling the kid’s hair as he leaned in closer.

“Well, you’re alright”, he shrugged even while turning his head to rest comfortably in the scrape of Tony’s neck, “But you forgot my snacks. You shouldn’t starve your enhanced Superkids. Or so I’ve heard.” 

 

“I did not forget your snacks”, he argued and hadn’t he been so comfortable he would’ve toyed with the thought of leaning away just so he could cross his arms to pout. As it was, he really didn’t feel like moving and instead continued playing with the kid’s hair until it was thoroughly messed up. “I got us a mini fridge for the lab and you’ll find it to be filled with everything your heart may desire.” He felt more than a little proud of himself when Peter craned his neck to look over to where he was pointing.

“Did you get Doritos?”, he nodded in content before relaxing against Tony’s chest once more and when he heard the confirmation he grinned up at the man, “Well, then you’re the best dad ever.” 

“That’s what I thought”, Tony smirked, “So, to get back to the matter at hand, why aren’t you going as Ironman? You know I could give you some cool gadgets, all de-weaponized of course.”

“I know”, Peter practically whined, “But I’ve been dressing up as Ironman for these things since forever and MJ and Ned ordered me to come up with something new for our last week of school.” 

The billionaire smiled widely, pleased at both the admission and the fact that Peter wasn’t even embarrassed by it anymore. He had to get May to show him the pictures that undoubtedly existed. 

“Okay”, he said, “Then why not one of the other Avengers?”, he wanted to know curiously, “War Machine is kind of cool or, you know, the Hulk. I could make you a Hawkeye bow and send you out as Legolas or how about some fancy patriotic shield and a little helmet with wings so you can be our all favorite Capsicle.” 

Peter groaned at that, “War machine’s too similar to IronMan to count, I really don’t wanna run around with a costume that makes me like triple my size and I really really don’t want to be Captain America when I can’t be Ironman.” 

“Alright, squirt”, he said instead of making a big deal about his Cap dislike. They had had that argument a few times already and it always ended with Peter stubbornly refusing to listen to whatever he was saying in Steve’s defense.

Honestly, he knew the kid didn’t like the hero because of his fight with him, Tony, and as much as he tried to make him see that it wasn’t solely the other man’s fault, he couldn’t help but be happy about his stubbornness on the topic. Not for the first time he wondered if that was what it felt like to be a parent and to have someone look up at you with so much trust, as if you could do no wrong. It was nice. It made him feel loved and it made him want to be that person that Peter saw in him. 

“So we’re going to be making you a Batman costume then”, he declared, sitting up and leaning forward, pulling up a Starkpad and starting to type away, creating a new file on the matter. 

“I- uh, you really don’t have to do that”, Peter squeaked even as he leaned against Tony’s shoulder to get a better look at the hologram that popped up in front of them, “Wow. What are you planning?” 

“Well, a Batmobile for starters”, Tony laughed at his kid’s stare and continued working on a prototype for the car. He might’ve toyed around with the idea before Peter had ever brought it up. 

“And you’re gonna go over the outfit and if you want a cape that’s fine but you’re not going to be fighting crime with a cape. You’ll need an armor and the mask of course.” 

“This is going to be so cool!”, the teenager exclaimed, jumping up and bolting for his workplace with a cheer, “Do you think we could add something like interrogation made - only with a really deep Batvoice this time? Or- or, I could try to make the armor a little bit like my spider suit. Obviously not in red but what if-“ 

Tony let the kid ramble, only giving his input every once in a while when his imagination went a little too far or when he had an idea himself that he knew Peter would love. Otherwise he kept designing the car, finding that he had rarely ever designed his own cars and that it turned out to be a lot of fun. Maybe he could make Peter his own car as a graduation present. Or they could build one together. 

But right now he was perfectly content designing something incredibly over the top just so his kid could have a blast during his last week of school and that felt like the most important project he’d ever worked on. Besides the Spiderman suit.


	5. Be A Child (Just A Little While Longer)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter teaches Shuri about Planking. Tony and T'Challa just roll with it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is incredibly short?? So I'll probably post something else tomorrow since I've got it already written. There's not really an explanation or excuse for it either... This is a call back to that one year ages ago where everyone did that.

“I can’t believe you’ve never heard of planking, Shuri!”, Peter exclaimed, grinning widely as the girl followed after him to the living room where everyone else was gathered. 

“Hey dad, could you clear your lap for a second there?”, he asked while sprinting over to where the man was sitting and Tony, god bless him, didn’t even blink or interrupt his, undoubtedly important, conversation with T’Challa and Bruce. He simply uncrossed his legs and raised the glass that had been resting on his lap to his lips. 

Not a second later Peter had hurled himself at him and was now lying face down on Tony’s lap, abs engaged to keep his body in a straight line and arms to either side of his body. 

Nonchalantly Tony put down his smoothie again, this time on the teenager’s back, and simply shrugged at Bruce’s flabbergasted expression. 

 

Truth be told, this wasn’t even the weirdest thing the kid had ever done and, judging by T’Challa’s deep sigh and small grin at his sister, the king was used to similar shenanigans. 

 

“And then what do you do?” Shuri asked, biting her lip as she watched Peter intently. 

 

Flipping over - and almost knocking over the smoothie in the process - Peter grinned, “Nothing. Well, take a picture of it but F.R.I.D.A.Y. records everything anyway.” 

He scrambled away from Tony’s lap, now slumping down on the couch next to his dad, taking a sip from the smoothie and looking expectantly up at the girl, “You should try it, it’s fun!”

 

She didn’t need to be told twice and her brother had made space on his lap before she could even warn him. Yeah, T’Challa seemed to be used to whatever new craziness his sister got up to and, much like Tony, he didn’t question it anymore. 

Shuri squealed with joy when she got down from planking, swatting her brother’s hands away that were messing with her hair and Tony could only laugh at the childlike excitement of the two, well, children when they skipped out of the room to pursue their new hobby.

 

Needless to say that that weekend was spend with everyone randomly tripping over the kids lying face down on whatever surface they deemed appropriate. 

Of course that included floors as well as things that were way too high and thin for Tony’s and T’Challa’s liking but before they could even speak up, they were already up and running towards a new destination. 

 

The pictures F.R.I.D.A.Y. took of them wound up being sorted into a photo album that both teenagers got for Children’s Day. 


	6. The Things I'd Do For You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Peter and Tony go on a run in Central Park.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some day I will stop writing stupid fluff. Today is not that day.

“Mr. Stark! Mr. Stark! Mr.StarkMr.StarkMr.StarkMr-“

“Kid,” he interrupted the overexcited superhero that had come barreling into his lab, “We’ve already established that you keep going against my express wishes in calling me with my given name, no need to rub it in.”

“But Mr. Stark,” the boy whined – yes, whined – and grinned up at him like the incorrigible teenager that he was, “Your surname is also a name given to you at birth, making it a given name.”

Tony glared at him. “And also the one I hate the most out of all my given names.”

“I thought that was Edward.” Peter laughed when Tony simply continued to glare at him and his soft curls started bouncing up and down, making him look that much younger and that much more adorable. Before he could voice any of those thoughts, though, the billionaire turned away and got back to the newest update on Rhodey’s prosthetics that he was working on.

“Is there a point to your visit?” He wanted to know, letting sarcasm bleed heavily through his voice but being about ninety percent sure that it couldn’t cover up the fondness that laced his tone whenever he talked to his mentee. Oh well. E for effort. “Other than reminding me why I never got kids in the first place?”

Ouch. That came out harsher than he had intended it to and Tony looked up quickly to see how Peter would take it. Once he had voice it, he realized how much it wasn’t true, too, not that he’d ever say _that_ out loud.

Thankfully the boy was used to his mentor’s filter opting out every once in a while and didn’t react much at all. He had dropped down on one of the swivel chairs and was lazily turning back and forth, twisting his body in ways Tony was certain it wasn’t meant to be twisted in. Picking up one of the spare parts Tony was yet to put in he started scratching his head with it.

The thought that his hair was probably freshly washed with the way his curls fell right into place came involuntarily and before he could stop himself the billionaire superhero had turned away from the prosthetic and was reaching to take the clunky metal pin from the boy to run his own hands through the fluffy texture that were Peter’s freshly washed curls.

“What’s up, Underoos?” he asked gently now, smiling when his mentee leaned back to rest his head against his stomach. That left Tony to brush the curls from his forehead which he did more than gladly before dropping his hand down to massage his shoulders. “Is your shoulder still hurting?”

“Nah, it’s okay,” Peter told him, “I just couldn’t sleep last night.”

“You want to take a nap now?” It couldn’t be much later than 8 in the morning if he wasn’t completely mistaken. And he should know, he had been up since shortly after 5 after a nightmare induced panic attack had kept him from enjoying his weekly Saturday sleep in. (Who was he kidding, he rarely slept past 7 and only when he left his lab at like 3. An unhealthy habit he had hoped the kid wouldn’t pick up from him.)

“’M not tired,” said kid mumbled even as Tony watched his eyes drop close. “That’s the problem. I don’t get tired. I’ve got too much energy!”

Suddenly, before Tony could so much as blink, he had jumped up and was dancing through the room before jumping up on the ceiling and blinking down at the older man who’s heart had plummeted to his stomach at the acrobatics. The teenage vigilante currently walking up and down on his ceiling didn’t seem to realize that, however, and simply kept on ranting.

“I mean my shoulder is fine! I swear! I mean it’s been almost a week and I promise I’m back to normal. Pleaaase let me go back out as Spiderman. Please!”

“Now I get why your aunt wanted you to spend the weekend at the tower,” Tony sighed, trying to ignore the upside down puppy eyes even as he dropped down on the couch so it’d be easier to look up without his neck killing him for it later. “She didn’t want to deal with this. Thankfully,” he added after an undignified snort coming from the ceiling, “I am in no way swayed by your big brown eyes.”

“Oh really?” Peter quipped, already looking as if he was mapping out another argument in his head, “And what about that time when you said I couldn’t have more ice cream only to-“

“I am in no way swayed by your puppy eyes when it’s about something regarding your safety or health,” he rectified his statement. “Your shoulder might be all healed up on the outside but it’s still warm, meaning your body is still working to get completely back to normal. That means no movements that would pull on the joint too much and I’m very sorry to inform you that your bodyweight and the added velocity is putting a lot of strain on your shoulder when you’re slinging through the city. I’m sure you understand the math of that.”

Peter pouted but dropped down from the ceiling and halfway onto Tony’s lap in the process. “You’re no fun. At least tell me what to do with all the energy!”

“Kid,” Tony interrupted him, pushing him into a more comfortable position for both of them, “You do know that we have a huge gym just two stories up, right? Go run on the treadmill for an hour or something. Knock yourself out.”

“But Mr. Stark running inside is _so_ boring, can’t we go run outside?”

“Wait,” he stopped him before the plea could go further, “When did I say I wanted to go running?”

Peter stopped to look at him, cocking his head to the side questioningly, “You always get in your cardio before breakfast on weekends.”

“Right.” He didn’t stop to think how the Spiderling knew his routine so well but it was true. He would’ve gone down to the gym after putting the last finishing touches on the prosthetic to get in an hour of cardio before starting on pancakes for their breakfast. Usually Peter slept longer, though, and woke up to the breakfast already sitting on the counter waiting for him.

“I never go outside to run, though.”

“But you should,” the teenager frowned up at him, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, “You don’t get out nearly often enough. May says you’re starting to look more and more like a hermit. And I mean the sun is out but it’s not too hot. It’s the perfect running weather. And Central Park isn’t too far from here! Please, Mr. Stark.”

Damn this freaking kid with his big eyes.

“You ever think that there might be a reason why I don’t run outside?” he asked him, trying to keep his voice as gentle as possible even as he grew increasingly agitated.

It was the part of being Tony Stark that he hated most of all. He had never gotten the privilege to just go outside when he felt like it. Not without a bunch of reporters following his every step and waiting for a new mishap on his part. Everyone was always waiting on him to fuck up and make a mess and really, it had taken the allure out of going outside for him ages ago.

But here sat pure Peter Parker, wanting to go for a run with him and he realized he really wanted to say yes. The boy looked so hopeful, so innocently clueless and while Tony knew that he had seen the worst of the world already, he was scared that eventually something would dim the light in his bright eyes and he didn’t want to have that on his conscience.

“You can’t just hide all the time,” the boy said then, his earnestness a sign of how fast he had had to grow up. “I mean, let them write about you taking a Saturday morning jog, what do you care? You always tell me not to listen when they write something about Spiderman. They have no idea what they’re talking about anyway, right?”

Tony turned, one knee tugged up, to get a better look at the teenager. “I’m not worried about what they’ll say about me,” he told him with a sigh, “I just don’t want them to go after you, Pete. I want you as far away from this as possible”. He gestured in the general direction of himself, much to the kid’s obvious chagrin.

For a moment the kid’s head dropped in defeat and Tony wanted to do something about it. Wanted to scream out how unfair this world was, wanted to buy every newspaper just so that he could go out with his kid without worrying… but, before he could do anything to make Peter feel better, he did it himself. 

“But they know you’re friends with Spiderman!” he exclaimed, already standing and bouncing on the balls of his feet, “I could go as Spiderman and it’d be just two superheroes hanging out.”

Despite himself, Tony let out an amused snort as he watched the bundle of teenaged frenzied excitement, “I’m not gonna go running in the Ironman armor, buddy.”

Rolling his eyes, Peter took his mentors hands and pulled him up. “No, but Tony Stark’s the superhero behind Ironman so you’re fine. I mean it’s not like you went out of your way to keep your identity a secret in the first place.”

The kid did have a point.

“Fine,” he relented, silently pleased at the prospect of going out to enjoy the first warm rays of sunshine on a promising looking spring day with his kid. Even if said kid had to go running in spandex to not cause a public uproar about Tony Stark’s illegitimate son. “Get your suit and meet me in the living room in ten.”

“Yes!” the teenager cried out, throwing a victorious fist in the air before running out of the lab’s glass doors as fast as he had come in, with Tony slowly trailing after him after turning off the lights and instructing Dum-E to clean the rest up.

Eight minutes later, Tony met the fidgeting Spiderling at the elevator and grinned when the eyes on the suit widened the moment they fell on him. It were moments like these that he was really grateful for having added that particular feature because it was usually the only thing that told him of Peter’s delightfully fantastic mimic when he was in the suit.

His own black jogging wear was a stark contrast to the bright red of the Spiderman suit and only the bright arc reactor that was housing his nanobots, _just in case_ , gave way to his part time activity as a superhero (“ _Mr. Stark that looks so cool!_ ”). Though, he guessed his face was a pretty good giveaway, too. 

“Let’s go.”

The ended up running for two hours in which the kid updated Tony on everything that had come up in the past week and told him about the field trip his class was going on next Wednesday. To Oscorp. (“And like, I really don’t wanna complain, but why do we always have to go to Oscorp?” – “You wanna come to Stark Industries next time?” – “Can you actually do that? Yes!”)

Tony enjoyed the constant rambling and even found himself managing to crack a real smile on the few times they got asked for selfies. He was grinning at Peter – _Spiderman_ – practically bursting for joy at the question if nothing else.

They went jogging on Sunday, too, and their runs went so well that, when Pepper suggested that they go for a run in Central Park next Wednesday, he didn’t hesitate before agreeing with a small, excited smile and a kiss to her cheek.

That smile, of course, fell from his face when a wizard interrupted their easy banter, proclaiming the imminent end of the world.


	7. Never Said He Was My Son (Never Said He Wasn't)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter calls Tony dad. It's cool, really, just unexpected for the bunch of superheroes currently standing in their kitchen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this on my phone half a year ago and I just found it again and edited a little because there's only so much time you can spend staring at x-rays before it gets boring. (hint: that time is very few minutes, actually.) 
> 
> imma go ahead and dedicate this to KC cause he's a dumbass who doesn't know the meaning of fluff. Check out his angst-feasts [here](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheOceanIsMyInkwell), it'll break your heart, promise.

It had started as a joke, really. 

With an eye roll and an exasperated sigh he had channeled what Mr. Stark called his inner teenager and had shot out a quick “Sure,  _daad,_ ” dragging out the tiny syllable half in annoyance, half in glee at the older man’s flabbergasted expression.

A, “Peter Parker, I swear to god you are going to be grounded for at least a year”, had been the reply and that had been that. 

Ever since then, whenever the billionaire couldn’t suppress his overbearing helicopter parent tendency (not that he ever really tried too hard to begin with), Peter would call him out on it, mostly with a grin, sometimes with an angry huff and crossed arms in front of his chest, sulking like only a pubescent teen could.. 

Sometimes he’d use it to his advantage when he really wanted something because he had long since learned that a whiny ‘dad’ coupled with his patented puppy eyes would get him almost anything he could wish for. 

It had grown on both of them, had become a comfortable part of their daily routine that they didn’t want to miss. 

 

But now, now all of the freshly pardoned Avengers were staring at him with varying degrees of shock seemingly etched on their faces and the last letter died on his tongue with a small, “Oh.” 

He’d just called Tony ‘dad’ in front of literally all of Earth’s mightiest heroes.

The man himself simply walked up to him, greeting him with the usual hair ruffle and, “Hey kid, I’ve got your snacks in the fridge. Grab those and one of your old shirts from your room and we can get started on that project of yours.” 

The normalcy of it had him forgetting their guests for a second. Instead he turned to the fridge with rediscovered hunger, muttering a half-hearted, “I told you I don’t really need help with that, Mr. Stark. It’s just for my chemistry class.” 

Before Tony could reply, Steve Rogers spoke up. Captain freaking America looked him up and down, squinting slightly before giving a quick nod with his head and extending his hand to Peter.

 

“I’m Steve. I didn’t know Tony had a kid.” 

That last part was directed at the man (dad?) in question who had come up behind Peter, clapping his shoulders encouragingly while the teenager spluttered out a, “H- hi, I’m Peter. I’m uh-“

“Busy finishing a very important chemistry project”, Tony supplied for him and he was both grateful because he really didn’t know what he was supposed to introduce himself as  _(I’m an intern? Spiderman? Not his kid but still call him dad but don’t worry, it’s Our Thing?)_ and embarrassed. Why did he have to bring up his homework in front of a bunch of superheroes? They would most definitely laugh about him behind his back. 

“Up you go”, Tony continued, ignoring Peter’s inner turmoil, and pulled him from his thoughts, pushing him towards the door lightly, “Inhale that sandwich, get a shirt and your notes from your room and meet me in the lab in like ten minutes.” 

Despite his nervousness, or maybe because of it, he did as he was told with only a muttered, “So bossy”, that of course Tony picked up on. 

“You wanna say something, squirt?”, the older man wanted to know, eyebrows raised and his voice colored with just a faint-barely-there tad amusement. 

“Nope”, he grinned up innocently, popping the ‘p’ and then, because the rest of the Avengers still stood in their kitchen without moving a muscle, he added a, “Be nice to our guests,  _dad_ ” _,_ before bolting for the door and running up to his room. 

 

Boy, oh boy, was his heart thumping along in his chest along wildly right now. It felt like the organ, though not bigger than the size of his fist, wanted to break out of his rib cage and jump right back down to the kitchen to tango on the counter. 

What the hell had just happened? 

As he tried to calm his nerves and scarfed down the sandwich, he couldn’t help but tell F.R.I.D.A.Y. to lift the usual soundproofing of his room enough so he could listen in on the conversation happening downstairs. 

-

“So”, Tony’s voice broke through the thick layer of nothing that had descended on the room after Peter had left, “Looks like it slipped my mind to tell you that I have custody on Tuesdays, Thursdays and every other weekend. Try not to be too loud on school nights, although his room’s on my floor so you shouldn’t even get that close to start anything and it’s also soundproof if he wants it to be.

Kid’s got access to all parts of the Tower and be aware that he uses it plenty. Don’t mess up the order of the Star Wars movies on the shelf, don’t eat all the Lucky Charms without letting F.R.I.D.A.Y. know so she can stock up on them and uh-“, he picked up his - by now cold - cup of coffee from the counter and took a sip, trying to wreck his mind for something he might’ve missed,.

“Oh and don’t give him any ideas”, his eyes rested on Clint for a moment, “he’s a very impressionable kid and I’ll know who to ask when he comes up with even crazier ideas than usual. Your rooms are still where you last saw them, didn’t change a thing. That should be about it. Any questions? I’ve got a lab date in 8 minutes and about 20 seconds.” 

In the silence that followed, Tony watched the people around him stare at him and he had to force his expression to stay relatively neutral because, really, he was enjoying this way too much. 

It had been a while since he had rendered the whole squad speechless and he never would’ve guessed that a kid would have had anything to do with it. His kid no less.

Clint broke through the silence first, “You mean apart from the ‘What the fuck, Stark, you have a kid?’-stuff”, he looked down at his fingernails as if he was actually contemplating his next words before giving a nonchalant shrug and moved past Tony to get himself a cup of coffee, “Nope. No questions.” 

Now he did grin at the super spy as they clinked glasses. 

“Great. Dinner’s around 8”, he told them with his last sip of coffee when the rest of them still didn’t seem to have much more to say, “Usually we cook but I don’t really feel like feeding a super soldier and a growing teenager with my hard work so we’ll order in. Leave your pizza choices with F.R.I.D.A.Y.” 

With that he turned and sauntered out of the room gracefully. He only succumbed to his growing laughter when he had already reached his lab and heard the door fall close behind him. His eyes met the teenager who was already curled up on his couch trying to look as inconspicuously as possible and failing miserably at it. 

“You listened in, didn’t you?”, Tony grinned at him widely when he stuck his tongue and shrugged with a very convincing, “Maybe.” 

“Can you hear them right now?”, the billionaire asked, plopping down next to his kid, still breathing heavily but back in control of his body. 

Peter cocked his head to one side, closing his eyes in concentration before cracking a grin, “They’re currently taking bets on whether or not I’m biologically your son.” 

They locked eyes after that, both letting that sink in before bursting out into laughter again.

“Oh, it’s on”, Tony gasped in between laughs, “The Avengers won’t even know what hit them now that they’ve got two Starks coming after them.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I should probably tell you that I probably won't have much time to write till like.. March? idk, man, exams suck! Thanks for everyone who's left a comment and kudos xx


	8. A Funny Little Thing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony Stark and the meaning of family.

Family’s a funny little thing.

Even with all his cleverness and imagination and ingenuity… if he’s being honest, it’s one of the few things he’s never been able to wrap his head around.

(That and pineapple on pizza and smelly chees but he has resigned to that always remaining a mystery to him)

No, but family?

He’s not quite sure what that entails.

 

-

 

When he is 7, holding his swollen cheek and trying to blink past the blood that is dropping down from the cut on his eyebrow that’s messing up his view and his lips are pressed into a thin line as to not make a sound, he thinks he gets it.

Family means an absent father with an alcohol problem, strong hands and poor impulse control and a mother too scared to stand up for her son or herself. It means either obeying to his creator’s rules without questioning them or getting a black eye for his fractiousness.

Family is the hell he was born into. Cold and unwelcoming and nothing but pain. Family is an obligation and a burden and he’s sure he could never fully grasp how anyone would go back there out of their own free will.

 

-

 

At the age of 14 he somehow stumbles into the Rhodes’ family.

From the second Rhodey’s dad greets him with a wide welcoming smile and a “how are you, son?”, he realizes that this is vastly different to everything he has known before.

Rhodey’s mum is sassy where his is submissive and where his dad is angry, Rhodey’s is soft. Where his family is quiet, cold and rejecting, this one is loud, cheerful, warm and open. They welcome him with open arms and treat him like one of their own.

Rhodey’s uncle becomes his uncle and his cousin enjoys having two boys to dress up and do her biding now.

It takes some time but after a while Tony learns that when the adults raise their hands at him it’s usually to give him a high five rather than plant it in his face to leave their mark.

It’s weird… that this seems to be normal, too, apparently. It’s a stark difference to, well, the Stark Mansion with all its high walls, clean carpets and old vases. This family feels more like home than his own ever has so he starts dreaming about having one of his own one day - in secret and ashamed but silently hopeful.

 

-

 

He thinks he has a shot at that when he’s 40, fosters a house full of superheroes - his team - and has an assistant-turned-CEO-turned-girlfriend by his side. He’s happy but then again, there’s always a nagging voice inside him telling him he’s damaged and no one really wants damaged goods.

No matter what he does, it’s never enough it’s never what they deserve. It’s like it used to be at home that wasn’t a home. And so, inevitably they fight and they snap and they leave because, so far, no one has ever stayed.

 

-

 

He’s 42 when he buries his hope to ever have something good of his own. Maybe it’s just not meant to be. Maybe it’s in his blood, his DNA coded in a way that leaves no room for supportive conversations and calm family dinners. Or in his brain that’s always too busy inventing, battling his own demons and being scared to ever have someone willing to stick around and to care for him.

 

-

 

Somehow he’s nearing 50 now, just half a year out, and he’s on the lawn of one of his holiday houses in the Hamptons and his wedding band is glistening in the sun when he winds up to throw the baseball as far as he can.

His kid-but-not-really-but-in-every-way-that-counts laughs loudly when he chases after it and he watches, a wide smile on his face as his eyes follow the boy jogging across their makeshift field, unruly curls bouncing with every step, hanging into his eyes when he finally gets to the ball and he grins proudly when it disappears on their neighbor’s property.

Tony is shaking his head in exasperation. “I’m not going to get that for you,” he tells him in no uncertain terms, fondness giving away the lie in his words.

“Oh please, Mister Stark,” the kid whines, bumping their shoulders together with a pout, “You know how scared I am of Miss  _Sunshine_.”

Before he has the chance to snark back, Pepper is calling for them.

His wife and May are standing on the patio, barefoot and with light bouncing of their hair. He can hear the sound of their laughter, it fills his soul up with a surge of warm contentment. His entire being is buzzing with the gentle energy they generate.

“I think Happy and Rhodey might be getting here for the barbecue,” Peter tells him matter-of-factly and he’s suddenly overcome with such a wave of fondness that he can’t help but reach out to his kid to ruffle his hair and tuck him closer to his side.

It hits him then how Peter doesn’t flinch away like he did the first time Rhodey’s dad went in to hug him. No, Peter leans into the embrace without hesitation without even a hint of the fear Tony used to associate with his father’s touch. His relaxed posture gives away his genuine trust and unconditional love as he’s enjoying the contact, settling into the familiarity.

Familiarity.

 _Family_.

This is his family.

Not the one he feared he would end up with, not the one Rhodey has had and not even the one he dreamed about having all those years ago but in the end none of that matters.

This is  _his_  version of family.

A little chaotic, a good chunk of patchwork with pieces from the most unexpected corners but inherently  _good_  and undoubtedly  _his_.

So, yes, family’s a funny little thing but he thinks he understands it a little better now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there. Posted this on tumblr two days ago (I think) because this has been written solely on my phone while I firmly ignored any and all responsibilities so excuse... ya know, everything you don't like. 
> 
> There's also a thing I wanted to let you know. I'm going to make this thing into a series and post the new stories as a new work each which are all part of this series. I've thought about it and while I never wanted to idk look like I post so many stories when they're really just tiny, giving each story it's own work makes it easier to tag, summarize and for anyone who enjoys one of them to find it again. 
> 
> So, long story short. If you want to continue to get updates you should probably describe to the series cause this one's the last in this work. 
> 
> Feedback is appreciated! I hope you enjoy :) x


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